Issues Found in the Survey

JamienSurrey

Hi,

Wondered if I could get some advice.

We are in the process of buying a house that needs a lot of updating. We knew it needed a fair bit of work and factored that work into our price.

However, in the various surveys we have had other issues have been found. The 2 main ones are -

1. No window lintels, so the wooden window frame and metal windows are supporting the brickwork.

2. All pipes need replacing throughout the house as there is corrosion within the iron pipes limiting pressure and flow.

If the vendor accepts our revised offer, how does it work with the mortgage. Does our mortgage and original price stay the same and we get a refund as a repair allowance when we complete?

The value of the repair allowance will probably be in the £15k mark (2-3% of the price). I don't want to go back to the mortgage company and face even more delays.

Thanks

motherofstudents

No, if the vendor agrees to your reduced offer they will drop the price by £15k so you borrow less. You will then have to do the repairs from other funds eg savings.

dominoman

No window lintels is really serious. The frames are designed to hold glass, not support the wight of the walls.

I'd take the cost of work off the offer price, plus another 20-30% for unseen defects. A builder who put in windows without lintels will have probably cut corners elsewhere too.

JamienSurrey

Thanks for the replies

After reading a few other posts I thought there was a mechanism for the vendor to refund you the amount needed to rectify any issues, rather than them sorting the issues out themselves. So the price and mortgage remain the same.

Or am I wrong and it can't work like this?

motherofstudents

You can ask the vendor to have the work done but then you have no control over who does it or how it is done. It is preferable to get them to drop the price by an amount agreeable to you both and then you have the repairs done. Have you had a builder go and have a look and give you quotes ?

JamienSurrey

A Builder has given a quote so we have support for any reductions.

I was hoping that a refund as an allowance for work will allow us to do the work now rather than wait a while to save.

Thanks

propertyman

dominoman wrote: »

No window lintels is really serious. The frames are designed to hold glass, not support the wight of the walls..

Well no thats not right.
Windows can, and are often designed to do that, particularly in older homes of basic construction.

:money:What the OP should do is check that the windows there
a; are designed and able to do so
b; what condition they are in

And if not what remedies there are as propping up the structure to put in a lintel or put in new windows is invasive and expensive.

Not one of the local builder or rule of thumb to use as it will take some opening up and investigation.

martinsurrey

dominoman wrote: »

No window lintels is really serious. The frames are designed to hold glass, not support the wight of the walls.

I'd take the cost of work off the offer price, plus another 20-30% for unseen defects. A builder who put in windows without lintels will have probably cut corners elsewhere too.

I think you'll find that a huge number of Victorian houses either had structural window frames or simple wooden lintels.

If you buy an older house, you need to accept that construction methods change over time and that you need to adapt to suit them.

If you can’t/don’t want to, buy a new build.

In this case, as long as the structure is sound (so structural frames) I wouldn’t be giving a discount on either of those things. The pressure is a want, not a need, and the frames are in keeping with the construction of the house.